Thanksgiving is one of the USA’s most “sacred” holidays, right up there with the “4th of July” independence day.
It conveniently occurs on the “last Thursday in November” each year.
Not only does this day mark the official beginning of the “Holiday Shopping” season, it is also one of the “key elements” in the country’s “national mythology.”
Oppressed pioneers, “The Pilgrims” arrive on the savage shores of Plymouth, Massachusetts, desiring only “religious” freedom. After a tough year of overcoming countless “adversities,” they rejoiced with a festival of “giving thanks” to God, and eating a lovely dinner with “family and friends“, and of course thinking kindly of the “martyred” Indians.
The reality “today” is a little different.
Since that time, as most of the USA’s original inhabitants are either fabulously “wealthy” running casinos or “dirt poor,” living in broken-down trailers.
Thanksgiving has “morphed” into a somewhat “mandatory” day when as many friends and/or family-members as possible are “forced” to gather at someone’s comfortable home, to spend a whole day “cooking” a turkey, chit-chat about “meaningless” nonsense, re-live personal and family “traumas” from years and decades ago, and watch “football” games, even if one seriously “hates” football.
Then, when all the “food” is ready, everyone sits fake-nicely around the “table” and fills their already “obese” faces with as much food as they can possibly “shove” in.
Indeed, most Americans no longer call this “Thanksgiving,” in favor of the less-potentially-offensive term of “Turkey Day.”
After this “gluttonous” orgy, and after a “drunken” uncle or two get into a “fist-fight,” and a child breaks a valuable “antique,” and two other children “fight” about the Nintendo, every one puts on their size “XXXL” sweaters and goes for a nice “Family Thanksgiving Walk” around the block.
This takes over an “hour,” as many of the adults have to “stop and rest” every 10 meters or so and “smoke” a cigarette. Returning to the house, everyone has several additional “helpings” of dessert, including “ice cream and pie,” until there is absolutely no “food left in the house.”
The alternative “approach” to a modern Thanksgiving is often “chosen” by people who want to receive special “Allah” points for being extra-nice to “those less fortunate.”
These “do-gooders” go on down to the local “homeless” shelter or church-based “soup kitchen,” and spend the afternoon serving a Thanksgiving Dinner to “The Homeless”.
These meal always “bears” a striking resemblance to ordinary “jail” food, perhaps with a somewhat larger amount of imitation “mashed potatoes” or applesauce.
This is fine with the throngs of “unfortunate” diners, nearly all of whom are “crack” heads or “meth” addicts or hardcore “alcoholics,” and can’t really “taste” the food anyway.
Afterwards, the “do-gooders” go to a fine restaurant, where they have “prearranged” for an “elaborate” Thanksgiving meal to be consumed.
They have done their “good deed” for this Holiday Season, one that will take them through the year “secure in the knowledge of their virtue.”
The next morning, “The Day After Turkey Day”, is known to be the biggest shopping day of the year, “Black Friday” and the launching of the Holiday Season “marketing” blitz.
Many of the women will be seen at the shopping centers “before” dawn, queued up for early-opening stores, ready to “max out” the remaining credit cards yet again.
And what are they buying? Thousands of dollars “worth” of toys, gadgets, electronics and other “expensive” shit not really needed, to help “bolster” the U.S. economy, and to maintain the “illusion” that gives their “lives” meaning.
And that’s the story of modern “Thanksgiving.”
President-elect Donald Trump has delivered his first “Thanksgiving” message, in which he “urged” the nation to work “together” after a bruising election campaign.
We are very blessed to call this nation our home and that’s what America is; it is our home.
It’s where we raise our families, care for a loved ones, look out for our neighbors and live out our dreams. It’s my prayer that on this Thanksgiving we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by shared purpose and very very common resolve.
In declaring this national holiday, President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with one voice and one heart. That’s just what we have to do. We’ve just finished a long and bruising political campaign. Emotions are raw and tensions just don’t heal overnight; it doesn’t go quickly, unfortunately.
But we have before us the chance now to make history together. To bring real change to Washington, real safety to our cities and real prosperity to our communities, including our inner cities — so important to me and so important to our country.
But to succeed, we must enlist the effort of our entire nation. This historic political campaign is now over. But now begins a great national campaign to rebuild our country and to restore the full promise of America for all of our people.
I’m asking you to join me in this effort. It’s time to restore the bonds of trust between citizens because what America is unified, there is nothing beyond our reach, and I mean absolutely nothing.
Let us give thanks for all the we have and let as boldly face the exciting new frontiers that lie ahead. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America.
Happy Thanksgiving.
